Xero : 22/10/2019 - Xero offers more than 850,000 Kiwis mental wellbeing support, following research report

MEDIA RELEASE

Xero offers more than 850,000 Kiwis mental wellbeing support, following

research report

New research from Xero and the Mental Health Foundation reveals poor wellbeing outcomes for

small business

Auckland, New Zealand - 22 October, 2019​- Xero​ ,​the global small business platform, today announced that it will provide free​ and confidential wellbeing support​to approximately 850,000 New Zealand small business owners, their employees and families.

Xero is launching this service in response to the results of the 2019​ Small Business Wellbeing Report,​ jointly commissioned by Xero and the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand. Concerningly, even though nearly a quarter of Kiwis experience from poor mental wellbeing1, the report showed most small business owners are failing to realise their team would benefit from improved wellbeing2.

Craig Hudson, Managing Director New Zealand & Pacific Islands at Xero, says wellbeing impacts the bottom-line and the right leadership within businesses is desperately needed.

"New Zealand has critical mental health statistics to address as a country and for many people their workplace can play a central role in building their resilience and positive mental wellbeing.

"I was shocked to see that two out of every five small business leaders don't feel responsible for their team's wellbeing. Looking after wellbeing is not only the right thing to do for our people and ourselves, but also the right thing to do for our businesses.

"I believe that the time is now for Kiwi business leaders to take steps to learn how to better support their employees, so we can collectively address this crisis," says Hudson.

Xero is committing to this to make things easier for small business owners, by extending the Xero Assistance Programme pilot for an additional 12 months making the programme available to all Xero subscribers on Starter, Standard or Premium plans. XAP is available to the business owners, their employees and family members, and is estimated to reach 850,000 New Zealanders.

• ​https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/wellbeing-statistics-2018

• Only 32% of small business owners think their team would benefit from improved wellbeing

The service is available through Xero's own provider, Benestar. Users will have access to face-to-face, telephone, live chat and online counselling, as well as the Benehub and Benestar app, all paid for by Xero.

"We started trialling the Xero Assistance Programme (XAP) earlier this year. Based on the results of the initial pilot programme and our research results, it's clear there is a real need for a service like this. We're proud to create this opportunity to make XAP available to one in six New Zealanders," says Hudson.

"I know for many business owners part of the problem is that they don't know where to start. I hope employees will start by using XAP and other employee assistance programmes as a preventative measure for support, rather than just directing people to these services when they are in crisis. This is one of the ways business owners can make a heartfelt impact on mental wellness in the country."

Shaun Robinson, CE of the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) says, research shows workplaces that effectively prioritise the mental health of their people have better engagement, reduced absenteeism and higher productivity.

"Building mentally well workplaces is about adapting the tools businesses already have and integrating a mental wellbeing focus to work already underway.

"There is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating a positive work environment and you don't need to reinvent the wheel. Allowing flexible hours, open door policies and facilitating opportunities for team members to build connections with one another are very powerful and simple ways to build positive work environments and boost employee wellbeing," says Robinson.

The 2019​ Small Business Wellbeing Report​is available for download here​ .​

Xero will be contacting eligible customers from today. For information about how to access XAP visit www.xero.com/xap.​

Ends

About Xero

Born in the cloud,​Xero​ ​is​ a beautiful, easy-to-use platform for small businesses and their advisors around the world. Xero provides its 1.8 million subscribers with connections to a thriving ecosystem of 800+ third-party apps and 200+ connections to banks and financial service providers. On the inaugural 2018 Financial Times FT1000 High-Growth Companies Asia Pacific list, Xero was the fastest growing tech company in the $200 million+ segment. Xero won 'Bookkeeping software of the year' from the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers UK in 2018, and was rated by Canstar Blue as the best accounting software in Australia from 2015-2018 and in New Zealand in 2019.

About the Mental Health Foundation

The Mental Health Foundation is a charity that works towards creating a society free from discrimination, where all people enjoy positive mental health and wellbeing. Our work is diverse and ever evolving. We support workplaces and schools to create safe, inclusive environments where mental health is part of the everyday conversation, provide free suicide prevention resources, deliver national wellbeing campaigns, advocate for appropriate, timely and culturally responsive mental health services and more.

Media Contact

Natalie Benning

Head of Communications, New Zealand Xero [e-mail]

021 026 19604